The Voice- An Ohio PTA Newsletter
PTA's mission is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.
PTA Values:
- Collaboration
- Commitment
- Diversity
- Respect
- Accountability
September Jam Session
Are you down with OPP?(Ohio PTA Partnership)
The Ohio PTA Partnership is the statewide PTA for Ohio's children and teachers. Our goal this year is 100 members for 2025-2026. Add your voice to help amplify the mission of PTA.Join today for only $10.
https://ohioptapartnerships.givebacks.com/shop
Get Funding to Host PTA Programs and Support Student Engagement!
National PTA is offering funding to over 650 PTAs/PTSAs to help conduct programs for families in the areas of digital safety, STEM, healthy lifestyles, the arts and youth and family engagement. The application period is now open. By answering a few questions, your PTA can be eligible to receive program funding to help cover expenses like food, transportation and translation services to ensure all families can participate. There are also grant opportunities specifically for high school PTAs/PTSAs to support youth engagement! No prior grant-writing experience is needed.
Visit PTA.org/Grants to learn more and apply by Sept. 24 at 11:59 p.m. PDT.
National PTA Grants
School of Excellence 2024-2026
Ohio PTA is proud of our School of Excellence Rockstars!
We celebrate our local 2024-2026 School of Excellence designees! National PTA’s School of Excellence program provides a framework for local PTAs and schools to identify and implement best practices in family engagement to strengthen family-school partnerships. Enrollment is now open for the 2025-2026 School of Excellence program. Visit PTA.org/Excellence to enroll. #PTAExcellence #PTAProud- Ferdinand Schumacher CLC PTA Akron OH
- John Foster Dulles Elementary PTA Cincinnati OH
- Canterbury Elementary PTA Cleveland Heights OH
- Cranbrook Cougars PTA Columbus OH
- Copley-Fairlawn Middle School PTSA Copley OH
- Keystone Elementary PTA Lagrange OH
- First Step Preschool PTA Parma OH
- Pleasant Valley Elementary PTA Parma OH
We are pleased to share that National PTA will be providing grant funding to a selected number of School of Excellence PTAs to help with their membership initiatives thanks to the support from National PTA's funders. The funding provided is an opportunity to connect 20 School of Excellence PTAs with the Membership Mania initiative this year in order to help grow membership in the local unit.
Shout out to Ferdinand Schumacher CLC PTA for receiving this opportunity to grow their membership!
Your unit can also participate in Membership Mania and win prizes from National PTA! Check out this link to find out more.
Enrollment in National PTA’s 2025-2026 School of Excellence program is now open! The School of Excellence program provides a framework for local PTAs and schools to identify and implement best practices in family engagement to strengthen family-school partnerships and enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students. Visit PTA.org/Excellence to enroll in the program today.
Second Sunday Office Hours
All PTA Leaders are welcome to attend!
Ohio PTA Second Sunday Office Hours!
Everyone gets the VIP treatment when you log on and hang out with Ohio PTA! We will be on to share upcoming events, answer your questions, and share our PTA communities with one another.
September Second Sunday Office Hours will be held on Sunday, September 14th
Sign up today at bit.ly/ohioptassoh
Membership
Reflections
We are excited to get the 2025-2026 National PTA Reflections Program underway and have much information to share with you!
National PTA made significant changes to the Reflections program information this year. The Ohio PTA Reflections Committee has been diligently collaborating and processing the information to make it applicable to our state program.Ohio PTA Reflections Official Rules & Forms
Ohio PTA Reflections Local Leader’s Guide
Ohio PTA Student Packet (Category Guidelines and Student Submission Entry Form) | ColorOhio PTA Student Submission Entry Form | Color, Single Page
Ohio PTA Category Guidelines | Color, Single Page
Ohio PTA Category Guidelines | Black & White, Single Page
National PTA Reflections Student Entry Division Guidelines PacketNational PTA Reflections Student Entry Guidelines (Dance Choreography)
National PTA Reflections Student Entry Guidelines (Film Production)
National PTA Reflections Student Entry Guidelines (Literature)
National PTA Reflections Student Entry Guidelines (Music Composition)
National PTA Reflections Student Entry Guidelines (Photography)
National PTA Reflections Student Entry Guidelines (Visual Arts)
National PTA Reflections Accessible Art Guidelines
Ohio PTA Reflections Theme Search
Each of these forms contains specific information to the Ohio PTA Reflections Program, while complying with National PTA Reflections guidelines.
The Student Submission Entry Form, Ohio PTA Reflections Theme Search, and Official Ohio PTA Participation Form for Councils and Units (found within the Local Leader’s Guide) are all fillable PDFs for your convenience.
The National PTA Reflections Student Entry Division Guidelines Packet contains detailed requirements for each arts category, including an entry checklist and reminders, category tips, digital tools and technology use, and copyright and plagiarism information.
The basic arts category requirements can be found on the Ohio PTA Category Guidelines and in the Ohio PTA Student Packet.
We recommend you share the Ohio PTA Category Guidelines with families, and utilize the National PTA Reflections Student Entry Division Guidelines as a reference for someone wanting to learn more about entry requirements or to help answer individual entry questions
.
Important InformationMake sure to send any email inquiries to the Ohio PTA Reflections Committee at reflections@ohiopta.org.
Important InformationMake sure to send any email inquiries to the Ohio PTA Reflections Committee at reflections@ohiopta.org.
To participate in the PTA Reflections program, your local unit MUST SUBMIT DUES BY November 30, 2025. There is no flexibility to this rule. If you have any questions about your unit’s dues submission status, please contact your unit’s president, treasurer, and/or membership chair.
Reflections entries moving on to the state level must be received in the Ohio PTA office by Friday, January 9, 2026 at 4:00pm.
Volunteer Certificates of Excellence
(Advocacy and Family School Partnerships)
The Ohio PTA Volunteer Certificates of Excellence were created to celebrate the efforts of our members who take part in advocacy, family, school, and community activities. Ohio PTA members can earn one or both awards by completing the listed requirements. ACE requirements are in the left column, and FSPC are in the right column. Track completed tasks on this form. When you have met the requirements, scan the QR code to complete your final application online.
Volunteer Certificates of Excellence
Your Unit & Your Stage: Ohio PTA comes to you!
Ready to rock your PTA game? Ohio PTA is on tour heading to your location with on‑site training that shreds through leadership, meeting mastery, and parent engagement. We will be bringing tailored, on‑demand sessions that deliver the skills you need right where you are whether it's at your school, community location, or via Zoom!Book your band: Reach out to your regional advisor or contact Ohio PTA’s leadership online to schedule the “tour stop.”
It's not too early to work on your SOA!
As a constituent association of Ohio PTA and National PTA, you are required to maintain certain standards of affiliation (SOA) in addition to your duty to uphold the Mission and Values of PTA.
These nine items are things most units are already doing, and submitting your completed checklist should simply be a formality affirming that all of these required actions have been taken.
- List Officers and Committee Chairs in Givebacks (Due by July 15)
- IRS Form 990 (Filed by November 15)
- Charitable Solicitation Act Registration (Filed with the Ohio Attorney General by November 15)
- Membership Dues (Initial Payment by November 30):
- Financial Review (Completed and Filed by November 30)
- Bonding Insurance (Current as of November 30)
- Code of Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policy (Adopted by November 30
- Updated Bylaws (Reviewed at Least Every Three Years; Current as of November 30)
- SoA Checklist (Completed and Uploaded to Givebacks by November 30)
Ohio PTA Standards of Affiliation Checklist